Lahore High Court's Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial directing the Ministry of Religious Affairs to gear up awarding of Hajj quota to new eligible Hajj Group Organisers (HGOs) adjourned the proceedings in the petitions of HGOs for September 24. The petitioners submitted that the court had directed the Ministry to award quota of 5,000 pilgrims to newly registered tour operators, but the Ministry in connivance with old tour operators had decided not to allocate quota to new operators, he alleged.
He submitted that last year the Ministry and 726 tour operators had pleaded that money had been received from pilgrims and their lists had been sent to Saudi Arabia. He said the Ministry was again giving quota to those tour operators and doors had been closed for new tour operators.